Improvement in mechanisms for operating railway-track clearers



UNITED STATES PATENT CTTICE.

JAMES W. COMINS, OF OLD TOWN, `MAINE.

IMPROVEMENT IN MECHANISMS FOR OPERATING RAILWAY-TRACK CLERERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 146,655, dated January 20, 1574; application filed J une 12, 1873.

andi useful Improvements' in Devices for Op-' erating Railway-Track Clearers; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,

clear, and exact description thereof, that will enable others skilled in thet art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 shows an elevation, Fig. 2 a plan, of the frame d and platform.

My invention consists of a device for operating the flanges or track-clearers used on railroads. The ilanges generally operate when the car is moving forward only, and, in order to use them in the opposite direction, it is `necessary to turn the carupou a turn-table. In` my device two sets of clearers orfeet77 are used, so arranged upon t-he ends of a bal anced frame that either may be brought into service by the same machinery, which, at the same time, removes the clearer at the opposite end of the frame from the track. I also avoid the use of heavy weights to keep the feet down to their work, using, instead, a toggle-joint.

The construction and operation of my invention will be understood by reference to the drawing.

At ais shown the platform of a car. b b are openings in the flooring between the sills, in which are pivoted, so as to balance, bealns c c, connected by crossbeams c c', so as to form a balanced frame, d, upon the ends of which, extending downward through the floor, are the clearers or feet. These may be of any desired pattern, and of `such a length, vertically, that when the framed is horizontal, neither set of feet will touch the track. Above the iloor of the car is erecteda frame, c, sup porting the mechanism for raising or lowering the ends of the frame d, to bring the clearers into action. To the cross-bars c c',

midway, are pivoted levers f f, extending halffway up the frame e, where they are jointed 15o other levers, g' g, pivoted to the top of said frame, forming at either end toggle-joints 1L h, either one of which, when forced into a straight line, forces its end of the frame d downward, n

and brings the attached clearer into action. The joint h, being in a line with the strain, is capable of holding the foot down without assistance from weights or cumberous machinery.

To operate the toggle-joints, and through them the frame d, I use the following devices: At the center of the beamc, connecting the standards of the frame c, I place two sectors, turning on a common center, k. From pins Z I, near the outer edges of these sectors, extend connecting-rods to the toggle-joints h h, (see m m,) so that either joint may be thrown out or in by revolving the sector to which it is connected. To aV supplemental frame, n, is join-ted a lever, o, having a reversible dog, p, pivoted to its lower end, which dog is so coustructed as to hook over pins q q near the rim of the sectors, thereby connecting the lever o with either one of them at will. In the-draw ing, the end d of the frame el is lowered, bringing its clcarers into contact with the track. The toggle operatingthis end is `vertical, and the lever and sector are shown in the proper position to effect this. The toggle at the other end of the frame is also shown in its appropriate position. In order to raise both ends of the frame d, the lever o is swung' up, and the upper edge of the sector i meets that of the sector j, drawing inward the toggie-joint. W'hen the sectors are in this position, and it is not desired to use the clearers, they are retained in place by weighted catches r r, engaging in notches s s in the circumfer` y ence of the sectors. These catches consist of a dog, t, upon a gear, u, which meshes into a second gear, fv, upon which isa weighted arm, c. dogs from jarring out of place by the motion of the car. In reversing the position of t-he frame, the dog p is reversed and attached to the pin q! upon the other sector j, disconnecting the sector The operation is then as before. As the frame d is balanced upon its center, but little power is required to move it in any direction. y

To ease the motion of the Scrapers and prevent jar, a springv of rubber or other material The effect of this is to prevent the rods m m, sectors ij, with their notches s and catches r, whereby the frame d is held in a horizontal position, as set forth.

4. The lever o and reversible dog @,in combination with either sector 'i or j, as speoied.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 9th day of J une, 1873.

JAMES W'. COMINS.

IVitnesses i WM. FRANKLIN SEAVEY, WM. R. ANDERSON. 

